Rolling stand in particular for the shaping of a cast bar immediately upon leaving a continuous-casting plant

ABSTRACT

A rolling stand, particularly destined for shaping a cast bar immediately upon leaving a continuous-casting plant, is described, comprising two upright roll standards having their bottom ends connected by a rigid cross connection and their top ends connected by a detachable cap connection to form a cage, a pair of insert-mounted horizontal rolls arranged to be vertically displaceable along said standards, and a baseplate on which said rolling stand is detachably mounted. According to the invention, a transmission gear enclosed in a casing is detachably suspended on each roll shaft, said gears cooperating with and displaceable along a common vertical driving shaft connected for rotation with a drive arranged below floor; on separation from the baseplate, said rolling stand together with the suspended transmission gears and the driving shaft is vertically liftable and lowerable as a coherent, replaceable unit to move the driving shaft out of and into engagement with said drive.

United States Patent 72] Inventor Ernst llinterholzl Linz, Austria [2 I]App]. No. 844,410 [22] Filed July 24, I969 [45] Patented Aug. 24, 1971[73 Assignee Verelnhte Oderrelchische Eiaenand StahlwerkeAlrtiengeeellsehalt Llnz, Austrh [32] Priority Apr. 23, 1969 [33]Austria [31] A 3910/69 [54] ROLLING STAND IN PARTICULAR FOR THE SHAPINGOF A CAST BAR IMMEDIATELY UPON LEAVING A CONTINUOUS-CASTING PLANT 7Claims, 4 Drawing Figs.

[52] US. Cl. 721249 [51] InLCL .....B2lb35l00 [50] Field of Search72/238, 239, 249

Primary Examiner- Francis S. Husar Attorney-Brumbaugh, Graves, Donohue &Raymond ABSTRACT: A rolling stand, particularly destined for shaping acast bar immediately upon leaving a continuouscasting plant, isdescribed, comprising two upright roll standards having their bottomends connected by a rigid cross connection and their top ends connectedby a detachable cap connection to form a cage, a pair of insert-mountedhorizontal rolls arranged to be vertically displaceable along saidstandards, and a baseplate on which said rolling stand is detachablymounted. According to the invention, a transmission gear enclosed in acasing is detachably suspended on each roll shafi, said gearscooperating with and displaceable along a common vertical driving shaftconnected for rotation with a drive arranged below floor; on separationfrom the baseplate, said rolling stand together with the suspendedtransmission gears and the driving shalt is vertically liftable andlowerable as a coherent, replaceable unit to move the driving shaft outof and into engagement with said drive.

PATENIED M824 197i SHEET 3 BF 4 FIG. 3

INVENTOR.

BY ERNST f mrmuc'iLzL J w M (M ATTURNFY,

ROLLING STAND IN PARTICULAR FOR THE SHAPING OF A CAST BAR IMMEDIATELYUPON LEAVING A CONTINUOUS-CASTING PLANT The present invention relates toa rolling stand in particular for the shaping of a cast bar immediatelyupon leaving a continuous-casting plant, with two roll standards inwhich a horizontal pair of rolls with its inserts is arranged to bevertically displaceable, the roll standards having a rigid crossconnection below and a detachable cap connecting above, and the rollingstand being detachably connected with a baseplate, The problem withcontinuous-casting plants, in particular with multibarcontinuous-casting plants is to arrange the rolling stands used forfurther shaping of the castings subsequent to the casting process so asto save most space. The aim is to achieve the closest possibleside-by-side arrangement of the rolling stands so that the tundishlocated above the continuous casting moulds may be small and any loss intemperature of the liquid steel kept at a minimum. The individualrolling stands have also to be placed in the closest possible tandemarrangement. Due to the low casting speed in continuous casting the feedspeed of the casting in, the rolling stands is much smaller than withconventional rolling trains, resulting in an undesirably high losstemperature in the casting to be shaped in case of considerabledistances between the individual rolling stands. The compact structureof the rolling stands makes roll changing rather difficult and timeconsuming. As rolling stands following continuous-casting plants cannotwork independently from the casting and melting operations, any rollchanging or exchange of rolling stands, respectively, must be carriedout as quickly as possible in case of a change of the rolling program orrepairs so that the metallurgical operations will remain unaffected.

According to the invention this problem is solved by suspending on eachroll shaft a transmission gear enclosed in a casing and detachabletherefrom, said gears cooperating with a common vertical driving shaftoperated from below floor, and said rolling stand together with thesuspended transmission gears and the driving shaft as a coherent unitbeing vertically liftable and lowerable upon having been separated fromthe baseplate and the driving shaft thus being either detachable from orattachable to the drive arranged below floor.

The vertical driving shaft is preferably designed as a spline shaft andengages with a driving wheel of the below-floor drive, fitted withsuitable grooves.

The transmission gears suspended on the roll shafts may be displaceableon the driving shaft.

The roll shafts are preferably designed as spline shafts or as two-edgepieces, the bevel gears detachably arranged thereu pon having adequatelyshaped bores.

For the purpose of securing the rolling stand to the baseplate acentering device is suitably provided between the cross connection ofthe rolling stand and the baseplate.

The fixing of the rolling stand to the baseplate is preferably effectedby a hydraulically operated clamping device joining the cross connectionof the rolling stand to the baseplate, said clamping device being fixedto the baseplate and engaging the cross connection from below andforming a firm although easily releasable connection together with thecentering device.

By means of a frame that is fixed to the baseplate and open at the topthe gear casings suspended from the roll shafts are suitably guided in avertical direction and laterally braced against tilting.

In order that the invention may be more fully understood it will now bedescribed by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings.FIG. 1 shows a front view of a rolling stand with a sectional view ofthe suspended gears;

FIG. 2 shows a side view of the rolling stand;

FIG. 3 a vertical sectional view of the frame guiding the gear casings;and

FIG. 4 a plan view of the rolling stand.

Rolls 1, 2 are mounted in inserts 3, 4 being vertically guided in guidedU-shaped roll standards 5, 6. The lower ends of the roll standards 5, 6are rigidly connected by a cross connection 7 and their upper ends by adetachable cap connection 8 to form a cagelike unit. Numerals 9, l0designate hydraulically operated cylinders for the adjustment of therolls.

Two separate gear casings l2, 14 are suspended on the roll shafts ll,12, which may be designed either as spline shafts or as two-edge pieces,and are connected to each other by a vertical drive shaft 15 designed asspline shaft. Bevel gears l6, l7, l8, 19 are located in the gear casingsl3, 14. The bores of the bevel gears l6, 17 are adapted to the keys orthe two-edge piece of the roll shafts l1, 12 for detachable connection.The bores of the bevel gears l8, 19 have grooves adapted to the keys ofthe vertical drive shaft 15. Gear casings l3, 14 together with the rolls1, 2 and the inserts 3, 4 are vertically displaceable towards and fromeach other for changing the roll gap.

The drive 20, consisting of the gear 21 and the motor 22 is locatedbelow floor; said drive may be mounted in a base pit 23 or suspendedfrom the baseplate 24. The base plate 24 is aligned in the direction ofrolling by means of centering bolts 25, 26, 27, 28 and fixed to the base29 by anchor screws 30, 32, 31, 33, 34, 35. A centering device 36 isprovided on the base plate 24, by which the rolling stand may beaccurately fixed with respect to the roll pass axis. A hydraulicallyoperated clamping device 37, 38, 39, 40, 41 serves for securing thecross connection 7 of the rolling stand to the base plate 24. The levers39, 40 connected with the hydraulically operated pistons of cylinders37, 38 are in engagement with an eccentric part 41 revolvably arrangedon the base plate 24, acting from below on the cross connection 7forming together with the opposite centering device 36 a firm yetquickly releasable connection.

The torques required for shaping the casting are transmitted by thedrive 20 via the spur wheel 42 through the drive shaft 15 and via thebevel gears l8, l9 and 16, 17 to the rolls 1,2.

The tilting moments developing in the gear casings l3, 14 areaccommodated by a U-shaped frame 43 open at the top and solidlyconnected with the baseplate 24 FIG. 3). The vertical branches 44, 45guide the displaceable gear casings l3, 14. On the upper gear casing 13centering bolts 46, 47 are provided to fix a frame 48 designed like aninverse U resting on the frame 43 on inclined bearing areas and destinedto stiffen the upper part of frame 43.

The removal of the rolling stand, of the gear casings l3, 14, of thevertical driving shaft 15 as well as of frame 48 is effected uponopening the clamping device 37, 38, 39, 40, 41 by vertical lifting, e.g.by means ofa crane. The driving shaft 15 is accordingly disengaged fromthe spur wheel 42. The hydraulically operated cylinders 9, 10 and thelubricating spots of the driving gear are coupled to their pertinentconnecting lines by means of rapid-action connections, not shown. SAidconnections have to be released before removal.

Other assembly activities on the rolling stands, such as roll changing,adjusting the roll gap, the axial adjustment of the rolls and the like,as well as repair and maintenance tasks are done outside the steel millat roll workshops, a fully assembled and adjusted rolling stand beingmeanwhile installed in the rolling train. The provision of an exchangerolling stand allows short term unproblematic roll changing with minimumstoppages.

What I claim is:

1. A rolling stand for shaping rolling stock including continuously castbars, comprising two upright roll standards hav ing their bottom endsconnected by a rigid cross connection and their top ends connected by adetachable cap connection, a pair of horizontal rolls mounted in insertswith laterally projecting roll shafts and enclosing an adjustable rollgap being arranged to be vertically displaceable along said standards, abase plate supporting said roll stand, and releasable connection meanssecuring said roll stand on said baseplate, each of said roll shaftsbeing connected to a separate transmission gear enclosed in a casingdetachably suspended on each of said shafts said gears cooperating witha common vertical driving shaft driven by a drive arranged below floor,and said rolling stand together with the suspended transmission gearsand said driving shaft being vertically liftable and lowerable as acoherent unit upon release of said connecting means to move said drivingshalt out of and into engagement with said drive.

2. The rolling stand set forth in claim 1 wherein said driving shaft isdesigned as a spline shaft engaging with a driving wheel of said drivewhich is fitted with correspondingly shaped grooves.

3. The rolling stand set forth in claim I wherein said transmissiongears are displaceable along said driving shaft.

4. The rolling stand set forth in claim I wherein said roll shafts areselected from spline shafts and two-edge pieces and are in releasableengagement with bevel gears of said transmission gears having adequatelyshaped bores.

5. The rolling stand set forth in claim 1 wherein a centering device isprovided between said cross connection of said rolling stand and saidbaseplate.

6v The rolling stand set forth in claim 1 wherein said connecting meanscomprise a hydraulically operated clamping device mounted on saidbaseplate and engaging said rigid cross connection from below to form afirm yet easily releasable connection together with centering meansfixing said crossbeam in the direction of rolling.

7. The rolling stand set forth in claim 1 wherein said gear casingssuspended it said roll shafts are guided in vertical direction andlaterally braced against tilting by means of a frame fixed to saidbaseplate and open at the top.

1. A rolling stand for shaping rolling stock including continuously castbars, comprising two upright roll standards having their bottom endsconnected by a rigid cross connection and their top ends connected by adetachable cap connection, a pair of horizontal rolls mounted in insertswith laterally projecting roll shafts and enclosing an adjustable rollgap being arranged to be vertically displaceable along said standards, abase plate supporting said roll stand, and releasable connection meanssecuring said roll stand on said baseplate, each of said roll shaftsbeing connected to a separate transmission gear enclosed in a casingdetachably suspended on each of said shafts said gears cooperating witha common vertical driving shaft driven by a drive arranged below floor,and said rolling stand together with the suspended transmission gearsand said driving shaft being vertically liftable and lowerable as acoherent unit upon release of said connecting means to move said drivingshaft out of and into engagement with said drive.
 2. The rolling standset forth in claim 1 wherein said driving shaft is designed as a splineshaft engaging with a driving wheel of said drive which is fitted withcorrespondingly shaped grooves.
 3. The rolling stand set forth in claim1 wherein said transmission gears are displaceable along said drivingshaft.
 4. The rolling stand set forth in claim 1 wherein said rollshafts are selected from spline shafts and two-edge pieces and are inreleasable engagement with bevel gears of said transmission gears havingadequately shaped bores.
 5. The rolling stand set forth in claim 1wherein a centering device is provided between said cross connection ofsaid rolling stand and said baseplate.
 6. The rolling stand set forth inclaim 1 wherein said connecting means comprise a hydraulically operatedclamping device mounted on said baseplate and engaging said rigid crossconnection from below to form a firm yet easily releasable connectiontogether with centering means fixing said crossbeam in the direction ofrolling.
 7. The rolling stand set forth in claim 1 wherein said gearcasings suspended n said roll shafts are guided in vertical directionand laterally braced against tilting by means of a frame fixed to saidbaseplate and open at the top.